Problem structuring methods: new directions in a problematic world

Problem structuring methods: new directions in a problematic world

Problem structuring methods (PSMs) are a collection of participatory modelling approaches that aim to support a diverse collection of actors in addressing a problematic situation of shared concern. The situation is normally characterized by high levels of complexity and uncertainty, where differing perspectives, conflicting priorities, and prominent intangibles are the norm rather than the exception. Typically, the most challenging element in addressing these common managerial situations is the framing and definition of the critical issues that constitute the problem, as well as understanding the systemic relationships between these issues. PSMs provide analytical assistance through ‘on-the-hoof’ modelling, which are used to foster dialogue, reflection and learning about the critical issues, in order to reach shared understanding and joint agreements regarding these key issues. Although the development of some PSMs began in the 1970s, it was the publication of Rosenhead's Rational Analysis for a Problematic World (1989) which formally defined the field in the UK, and acted as a catalyst for wider recognition of PSMs, their application and their merits. The updated version, Rational Analysis for a Problematic World Revisited (Rosenhead and Mingers, 2001), is also an essential read for all newcomers to PSMs.

Our journey as co-editors of this special issue on PSMs began as part of a wider drive which included some 10 practitioners and academics who collectively called themselves the Modelling Strategic Problems Group. For 2–3 years (2002–2004) their coordinated activities included arranging network meetings, organizing conference streams, jointly writing academic papers, providing training sessions, conducting consultancy, and numerous informal activities which aimed to raise the profile of the group and PSMs. These early efforts lay a strong foundation and gave legitimacy to a strongly motivated group of ‘unknowns’. One initiative was this special issue, but many others will have also laid the foundations which will have surely influenced the JORS editors in their decision to accept our proposal for this special issue.

This special issue aims to take stock of the field and provide focus for the continued research and development of PSMs. It arose out of a desire to maintain PSMs as a ‘unique selling point of significant strength within the British OR research agenda’ (EPSRC/ESRC Review of OR, 2004, p 3), and at the same time expand the boundaries of the PSM community beyond its original remit. We strongly believe that the imminent retirement of some of the original leading PSM thinkers provides a significant opportunity for the emerging generation to sustain and further develop the field.

Part 1 of this issue includes personal reflections on the state of the field. The lead article is a retrospective from Rosenhead which sets the scene for the special issue. The paper looks first to the past of OR and the circumstances that gave rise to PSMs before considering the current state of PSMs, both its strengths and weaknesses. He then offers a personal perspective on the future areas of research that he considers would be opportunistic for the field to engage with. Rosenhead's paper is then followed by three viewpoints from different authors who have held a leading role in the development of the PSMs, including Eden and Ackermann, Checkland and Friend. In general they respond to points made in Rosenhead's article, building upon the arguments made there, as well as focusing on present and future issues which the field needs to recognize. We then offer our own viewpoint from the perspective of an emerging generation who face different problems to those who are more established in the community.

Part 2 reports on new methods for problem structuring. The first paper is a review presented by Montibeller and Belton, who are interested in the evaluation of options during the last stages of a PSM intervention using cognitive/causal mapping. PSM workshops generally rely on a process of social negotiation for agreeing which options to pursue. Here the authors develop a taxonomy by which they assess the advantages and disadvantages of an array of approaches that might be adopted to more systematically interrogate the decision options available in the map. Ritchey presents the second method, general morphological analysis (GMA), aimed at structuring and investigating the total set of relationships contained in multi-dimensional, usually non-quantifiable, complex problems. After arguing that GMA can indeed be considered a PSM, he discusses a recent application of GMA in structuring a complex policy issue involving the development of an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system in Sweden. In the last paper, Winter proposes a major role for PSMs in the field of project management. He argues that PSMs can be of particular help at the ‘front-end’ of projects, where objectives are often unclear and where different constituencies have conflicting aims. He then reports on a successful application of soft systems methodology (SSM) for a major project within Tesco Stores Ltd.

Part 3 covers different research themes that tackle some of the current issues of significance to PSMs. Franco discusses different forms of conversations which can take place during problem structuring interventions. He presents a theoretical model of conversation, identifies a role for PSMs within it, and examines how PSMs can make a conversation more ‘balanced’. He then proposes a research agenda to assess the effectiveness of PSMs in supporting conversations during PSM workshops. Keys focuses on the important issue of becoming an expert in the practical use of PSMs and how we can support individuals' learning about the effective use of them. He discusses what characterizes the expert user of PSMs, the relationship between knowledge and expertise and the development of these skills on the journey from novice to expert. Emerging from this argument he proposes further areas of research so that we might better enable the emergence of new expertise in the field. Shaw then argues that computer-supported PSM workshops such as Journey Making workshops, if carefully designed, could provide useful sources of high quality research data. Drawing on the work of Guba and Lincoln, he evaluates the extent to which Journey Making workshops can produce data that lead to research that is credible, dependable and confirmable. Next, White proposes a theory-based approach to the evaluation of PSM interventions. His thesis is that, instead of simply reporting a rich description of the intervention, researchers should focus more on evaluating their intervention to find out what works, why and for whom. He presents a more pragmatic approach to evaluation that engages with the raft of dynamic, complex and contextual elements present during an intervention. The paper evaluates a PSM-based intervention run with a community group and uses this experience to explore the utility of the theory-based, pragmatic approach.

Part 4 contains papers that propose novel uses of particular PSMs. Kodias and Mingers tackle the topical issue of multi-methodology by combining SSM with discrete event simulation (DES). Theoretical discussions of methodological pluralism are complemented with personal reflections on process to explore the challenges and the victories of combining paradigms. They conclude that while difficulties of combination exist, researchers should not view these as a barrier but (through a case study set in a health service) show that these are just characteristic of moving between soft and hard paradigms. The section concludes with a paper by Jackson, who argues for a reinvention of PSMs to take them a further step beyond classical hard OR. The paper assesses the contribution of PSMs to OR by examining the paradigms upon which they depend and makes a case for a fuller embracement of contemporary systems thinking. He concludes by contending that by engaging with a critical systems approach, PSMs can come closer to achieving the original visions of the pioneers of OR.

The special issue concludes with reviews of three books which address different topics which will be of interest to members of the PSM community. Books on Strategic Choice and Causal Mapping are complemented by another on skills for negotiation.

Owing to the number of high-quality papers submitted to the original call, there will be a second special issue published in the near future. Its structure will be similar to the current edition with viewpoints from top-flight academics and practitioners, and notable papers that substantially contribute to the development of PSM theory and application. We finish this editorial by thanking the authors and the many reviewers who helped us to produce this issue, as well as Sarah Parry and John Wilson who patiently guided us throughout the process.